The class of firearms known as muzzleloader is old and well known. Shooting muzzleloading guns of all types has become a pastime of considerable and growing importance. Returning to a simpler way of life is one of the lures of muzzleloading; however, using a muzzleloader is not as simple as it could be. The muzzleloader is characterized by the method of loading where a propellant charge and a projectile are each individually loaded through the bore and into the chamber of the barrel through a gravity feed operation. In this class of firearms, a separate source of ignition is provided for igniting the charge. The distance and accuracy of each shot fired from a muzzleloader is dependent upon the way the gun is loaded, and yet it is nearly impossible, with current methods, to load a muzzleloader exactly the same every time.
For centuries, black powder or muzzleloader weapons have been loaded by hand with powder, patch and projectile. The barrel has traditionally served as a cartridge hull or case, keeping the components together. Gravity is relied upon to position the powder and projectile in the muzzleloader's barrel.
The traditional materials needed for firing a muzzleloader include percussion caps, powder, conical bullet or ball, powder measure and patching. With a flintlock-style firearm, the percussion caps are not necessary. The traditional method of loading the muzzleloader begins by determining that the bore is clean, and dry, and free of grease or oil, which can gum up the system. Next, the nipple or vent, which directs the ignition spark toward the charge, is inspected to make sure it is clear of fouling from a previous shot. With a percussion-style firearm, it is customary to snap a cap on the empty chamber to dry and clear the ignition passageway. A proper charge of powder is then measured and poured directly down the center of the bore. Then, the sides of the barrel are impacted with an open hand to settle the powder in the breech; alternatively, the butt of the stock is impacted on the ground to achieve the same results.
Next, a lubricated patch is placed over the muzzle and a ball is positioned on the patch at the bore opening. Any excess patching is trimmed off. Using the ramrod, the ball is forced down the bore and onto the powder charge with an even, steady pressure. Steady, even pressure is required to avoid deforming the ball, which can lead to poor ballistic performance and inaccurate shooting. Any air space left between the powder and the ball must be eliminated to avoid uneven burning and inaccurate shooting. When the ball is seated, the ramrod is removed.
Muzzle loading firearms utilize a flint or an ignition cap which contains an ignitable substance to ignite the charge. Upon ignition of the propellant charge there is a rapid and large increase in pressure within the chamber, which causes the projectile to be propelled down the length of the bore and out the barrel at a high velocity. At the same time, some of the hot gases and debris from the ignition are directed backward due to the inertia of the projectile.
The problems associated with loading a muzzleloader include the following: 1) each load is put down the bore by hand, relying on gravity to position the load properly; 2) sloppy or inconsistent loading practices increase the risk of dangerous accidents; 3) sloppy or inconsistent loading practices decrease shooting accuracy; 4) the components of each load, which must be held outside the gun at least briefly prior to loading, can be detrimentally affected by weather, the shooter's carelessness, cleanliness and storage techniques; and 5) when using a muzzleloader to hunt game, it is necessary to fire and reload quickly.
Consistent loading is difficult because each step is performed by hand. The powder charge must be measured and poured into the barrel for each shot; the size and placement of the patching must be uniform; the ball must be seated with the same pressure each time. When these factors vary from shot to shot, as they most certainly will, velocity, uniformity, and shooting accuracy are affected. More importantly, the shooter risks injury from the improperly loaded gun.
For instance, the powder charge must be measured very carefully with each load to obtain a uniform charge. Because uniformity is so crucial, powder measures were introduced for preparing the optimum load. A powder measure is used by pouring the powder into the measure, tapping the barrel of the measure a specific number of times, and then leveling the charge. The process is repeated exactly with every load. While this process may help to get a more uniform charge for every load, the user must still get the powder into the barrel, relying solely on gravity to position it properly. The other components must then be assembled in the proper ratio and order.
Attempts have been made to simplify the assembly of the muzzleloader charge components. For instance, a combustible paper-case cartridge design was available as early as 1860. The success of this type of cartridge is dependent upon the nitroglycerin-impregnated paper igniting quickly, without smoldering. Cartridges of this type are dangerous to the health of the user. Because the paper case is typically torn off by mouth, ingestion of nitroglycerin can easily occur. There are other disadvantages associated with paper cartridges: the paper is fragile; the projectiles tend to be oversized for such cartridges; the cartridge is difficult to ignite; the cartridge is unusable if it becomes damp; and the cartridge is dangerous to handle and use.
During ignition of a muzzleloader charge, the base and the nose of the projectile tend to compress towards the center, deformating the projectile. With traditional methods of US loading a muzzleloader, the ball or projectile will be further deformed each time the load is packed with the ramrod. When the projectile is deformed, the direction of the projectile upon firing is unpredictable.
The safety and the speed of loading can be significantly increased by utilizing a modular load unit designed to hold an optimum measured charge. By eliminating the need for loose powder, which is spark sensitive, unintentional ignitions or explosions are prevented. By preventing deformation of the projectile at ignition, additional safety benefits are gained.
By having uniformity through use of a modular load unit, there are no surprises for the hunter or target shooter utilizing a muzzleloader. The modular load unit delivers optimum, safe loads with every shot. Traditionally and currently there exists an element of speculation with each shot fired from a muzzleloader.
Therefore, a need exists for a modular load unit that eases the loading process by storing optimum amounts of individual components safely and properly arranged, which can be quickly and easily inserted in its entirety into the barrel of the firearm.